Always Second
by mermaidpotato
Summary: A very crazy Twilight fan fiction that takes place a hundred or so years after Midnight Sun. From the perspective of Leah's daughter, with very little influence on the part of Bella and Edward. Abandoned indefinitely.
1. Preface

**A/N: Okay, this is my first fanfiction, and I know that the prologue is short, but I'm trying to make this in the most Stephenie Meyer-like fashion as is possible. Yes, that means that this is foreshadowing to the future, and I'm sure It'll be obvious once we get there where it's from; and when it is I want you guys to all say so in the reviews, just so I can see if anyone misses it.**

**Anyways, if you review, that's awesome and I'll love you foreeeever. Also, even though I already have a plot, after the first chapter, so that I don't just get random Bella-and-Edward crap suggestions (Not that I don't love them, it's just that Stephenie Meyer already finished up her story, so I don't feel the need to screw it up), I'm open to sub-plot and filler ideas, as through the rest of the story. If you get an idea and I use it, I'll be sure to feature you up here. Hope you enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: Except in my dreams, I do not own Twilight or any of the characters therein.**

* * *

"No! Stay away!" A beautiful voice rang out from the shadows. It stopped me in my tracks. I had never heard it before, but there was something underneath… some underlying familiarity I couldn't quite put my finger on.

"Forget about me and never come back! I'm no good for you anymore." I only then began to catch the details, as the original beauty of the voice fading ever-so-slightly in my ears. It was still there; I was just too preoccupied to tell.

The beautiful, ringing voice was torn apart by sobs, layered with a thick veil of pain and desperation. My nose was stinging, but I paid little attention. This was no trap, and even if it was, I could handle one of them. The stench wasn't strong enough to be more than one, and even they hadn't been there for long. The only other vampire stenches were long gone, from those who lived here a hundred years ago. Even my highly attuned senses could barely sense it, and if I hadn't known to look for it, I never would've been able to tell.

Then I saw something; onyx black eyes peering from inside the long-abandoned house. The faint moonlight drifting in through the trees illuminated his face enough for me to see, and I gasped.

"No! How could they do this to you?" I screamed, falling to my knees within the second. Tears instantly flowed down my cheeks, and I couldn't force my mind to work as fast as my body had. It took me about five minutes to get past anything but absolute shock from the vague familiarity only my eyes seemed to recognize hidden deep in his face.

Once it did, I gasped again, my eyes widening larger than I thought was possible. "…No." The faint whisper was all that escaped my lips, and tears were flowing openly down my face now.

"I'm sorry… I… I can't believe it either."


	2. Life Sucks

**A/N: I love Fiona. She's so angsty and stuff. A lot like Leah, only worse. I'll bet none of you even thought that was possible. fWell, so did I, but apparantly it is. It's like one of those "She's more of a Leah than Leah is" type things. I always thought they were kinda funny... Anyways, it's late, and I'm sleep deprived, so I probably sound like an idiot. Oh well.**

**Enjoy, and remember that I love reviews.**

**Disclaimer: Except in my dreams, I do not own Twilight or any of the characters therein. However, Fiona, Jared, Harold, Randall, Jamie, and many more to come do belong to me... with the help of my friend Fiona on some points of her namesake character.**

* * *

I was pacing back and forth down the streets, having one of those I-hate-the-world moments. It was the second one already that day. And it was still only noon.

I mean, can you really blame me? I was cursed before I was born. The child of two werewolves; the second female wolf to exist. I never had even a ray of hope, and, while my mom sympathized with me, after she gave birth to me, she was off running as a wolf again. She couldn't help it; her little Jared had never stopped being a wolf, and he was so young… well, truthfully, he was about fifty years old, but Leah was older. She was about twice his age, and she looked it, too. Well, she didn't look 100, but she did look in her late twenties. Which was about right, biologically. While Jared was still biologically a seventeen year-old.

Then there was me. I had changed at fifteen, because I had had so much to be mad about. None of us were surprised when it happened. But Mom and "dad" (I prefer to call him Jared, since he looks about a year older than me) ran with me for almost a whole month. I almost completely forgot that I was human. If it hadn't been for mom and Jared, I would probably still be running around La Push, a wolf forever, not aging, not dying. Until I completely forgot everything I had been.

But luckily, they had been there. Or maybe unluckily. I wasn't quite sure. Maybe it would be better to be running as a real wolf than a teenage girl who didn't know who - or what - she was.

And if I had to be the ONLY STINKING FEMALE WEREWOLF (other than my mom), then why couldn't I be the first? No one remembered second place. If I could ever calm down for long enough to start aging again and die, no one would remember me for long. Except for my parents, who were still having a great time as wolves, who would probably outlive me just for the fact that they were enjoying themselves and I couldn't have such a lack of control forever.

And I wasn't even in the same pack as my mom. She was still a part of Jacob's "pack." I stopped, cringing at his name. All of this junk is his fault. If he hadn't imprinted on that stupid half-vampire THING, then the _bloodsuckers_ wouldn't be visiting so often and their presence wouldn't have been able to activate my werewolf gene.

Was I just blaming others for my stupid problems? Yeah, I knew it. I didn't have to deny it. I wasn't a good enough liar to be able to deny it. Even to myself. I mean, I had no particular distaste for the Cullens, but what they were made me hate them by instinct, added to what they'd done to screw up my life.

And Jake was pretty cool, but still, imprinting on a _vampire_? It was bound to make people hate him. Especially me, who felt the worst effects of it.

However, I couldn't keep my level head for long, and I had a very one-track mind. So much so that it picked up exactly where I had left off.

And as soon as Jared had phased for the first time, he met my mom. They had long been enemies, arguing over every small thing as my mother used to do, as I'm told. But they saw each other as wolves, and everything changed. "The whole world changed in those two seconds" As my mom put it sappily. My dad always laughed and said "I think it was just the mating instincts and all…" or something else funny like that. I liked him, though I didn't say it openly; he was easy to be around. Calming, almost.

Still, as soon as that happened, he officially switched loyalties to Jacob. He was ticked off, but couldn't bring himself to order the two away.

And shortly after that, all the werewolves in Sam's pack had settled down and had kids. There were no more werewolves in the pack that still belonged to La Push. And guess what? I was the first to change. I was officially the alpha, which didn't matter much to me until Sam and Emily's great-grandkid, Harold, joined. I refused to call him Harry, though that's what everyone else did.

I had tried to give him the alpha position, but I couldn't figure out how. I even tried commanding him to take my place in the alpha voice. So I was pack leader over three stinking boys, sure to be more, soon, if the Cullens kept visiting like they had been.

What sucked the most was that I didn't have a say in any of it. The Cullens were friendly, so why did their presence have to affect us so? It's not like there were any vampire attacks going on. None have them had killed a single human since the original treaty was made, when my great grandparents were teens. Even with Bella, she had never tasted human blood. Apparently, she had some kind of supernatural self-control.

Man, what I wouldn't give to have just an ounce of that. Then maybe I could stop phasing so much and ripping my stupid clothes to shreds and coming home as either a giant wolf or naked altogether, with Jared either laughing his head off while Leah tried to console me as the tears streamed down my face or with them both off running, not so much as a note left behind.

My closet was full of identical outfits; that way it didn't look like I changed clothes fifty times a day. Plus, everything' cheaper when you buy in bulk. Which is what I needed.

Stupid werewolf gene. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why were we so affected by who are parents were and the passing of creatures that we have no right to kill? I understand it was necessary at some point, but…

"Ugh!" I finally screamed, somewhere in-between a growl and a sigh. It sounded oddly wolfish to my ears.

"I have HAD IT!" I continued, tears barreling down my cheeks, paired with the quivers running down my spine and making my hands tremble. "Life just sucks and I am sick of it! Why is everything against me?" I continued, walking towards the forest I would hopefully be close to before I lost it. The houses were already thinning, and I could see Sam and Emily's old house farther down the path. Harold would probably see me, trembling and about to phase as I was, and come running after me. But I didn't care.

I would ignore him and the questions he would continue to ask me, just as he always did. Then they would slow and disappear altogether. And I would just run until I couldn't remember why I was angry anymore; when human emotions seemed distant and fake and distracting and pointless and all the other things that they really were.

Then I would tell Harry to run to my place and get me some clothes because I didn't want my dad to laugh in my face, and He would merely nod and rush to the end of the forest to get his back, undoubtedly in a neat pile as to prepare for this. The kid had his grandfather's instincts and common sense. Apparently, I had picked up the lack in that department from my mother.

That was when I started running.

I couldn't take it. Why couldn't he have been the Alpha? Why did he, like Jacob, refuse the duties of Alpha? Why was I cursed with it? I suppose it didn't really matter other than in theory, but what if something were to happen? Where I would have to make decisions and step up to take charge? We would all lose and I would have the blood of three teenage boys on my hands. Or paws, rather.

I couldn't help it anymore, couldn't wait until the forest edge or take off my clothes first. My clothes exploded out of me, creating a large ripping sound. Followed by that was the explosion of an oversized, thick-pelted black wolf, whose paws hit the ground with a _thud_.

I was immediately running towards the forest, long streams of wolf tears trailing behind me. I couldn't hear any voices yet, but I knew that I would soon be joined by a comfortingly deep-voiced werewolf. The closest thing I would ever have to a brother. Or want.

And I was right. It couldn't have been more than two minutes before I heard Harry's comforting voice in my head, seeing the forest fly by through his eyes as well as my own. I tried not to let on how glad I was that he had joined, but apparently, it didn't work. Before I knew it, I was answering Harry's questions. I usually just ignored him, as I said. It's all just a blur in my memory, so I'm not entirely sure what happened, other than that when I finally snapped out of my trance-like state, he was consoling me.

_Wait… _I told him. I felt something… a ghost of a presence. I stopped running, and he caught up with me instantly, then stopped running beside me. His mind didn't probe or ask any more questions, but was relatively silent other than the vague curiosity he tried to shove out of the way so I could focus.

I closed my eyes and sat down, focusing on the vague presence. It was a feeling I remembered, but the presence was unfamiliar. It didn't take me long to realize what was going on, and I felt another fresh tear flow down my cheek. _We're not alone._

He didn't understand at first. Well, rather, he didn't want to understand. His subconscious realized instantly, which I could tell before he could. His conscious was denying it fiercely. He could hear it in my mind, I was sure, but he was denying it.

_Yes, Harold… There's going to be another one. Soon. _I listened harder, searching for it's strength. Suddenly, I felt it flare to life. _Holy junk, they're getting angry._

Harold's thoughts blanked out completely. Surprise filled his eyes and his mind, and for a few minutes, he was frozen in place, his mouth gaping open.

_No... Fiona, no._

_Come on_, I replied grimly, _we better be there to offer some moral support._

So I trudged back towards La Push, struggling to make my heavy black paws move. They felt like lead.

_Go grab our clothes. We're gonna want them later._ I added as he started trudging behind me.

_I'm guessing that means go to your house?_

_Yeah, and grab the clips. We don't know how long we could be running for._

_Aye, aye, captain_. He joked, but his heart wasn't there. He was worrying, and that wasn't good. This could turn to moping in a heart beat. And I didn't have enough brain space to concentrate on that, as well as the new werewolf.

_Meet me back at the edge of the woods. I'll try and focus on who it is. You'll be the first to know._

_Yeah, Yeah. I know. _He sighed a huge, wolf sigh, and then took off. I sighed, then followed after more slowly, stopping at the edge of the woods, far enough away that no stray humans would see me, but close enough that I could see easily in case the new werewolf or Harold came my way.

And as I sat there, staring at the sun through the trees as it set over the beach, it surprised me that, as much as it bugged me that I was a werewolf, it bugged me twenty times more that this new boy, though I didn't know who he was, was being cursed with the same fate.


	3. The End of the World

**A/N: I absolutely love the title for this chapter; it's so melodramatic. Anyways, that was random, but whatever.**

**I actually wrote the beginning of this fanfic (about up until the first break in this chapter) a couple months ago, and I had a really awesome idea behind the whole presence thing, but I forgot it. I can't remember what it was, but I have a new idea and it works. So yeah; you guys probably don't care and didn't need to know that, but oh well! I'm telling you anyways.**

**Disclaimer: Except in my dreams, I do not own Twilight or any of the characters therein. However, Fiona, Jared, Harold, Randall, Jamie, and many more to come do belong to me... with the help of my friend Fiona on some points of her namesake character.**

* * *

Harold came running back with my clothes and clip before I could remember the new presence. I quickly and skillfully used my teeth to snap the clip in place around my hind leg, then tying my clothes in place. It was meant to be done while human, but I never had the patience for that, thusly, this is what I often wound up doing.

I found it amazing how much more patient and calm I was as a wolf. I could just sit there forever, staring at the world around me, if it weren't for the necessities of food, drink, sleep, and relieving myself.

After a while, though, I sighed. _No sign of anything. They're still mad, but not ready to explode. I can't put my finger on the presence, either. Not very familiar. Seen anyone on growth spurts lately?_

Harold shook his big, red-furred head left and right. _No, not that I can think of. Are you sure about this?_

_It's the exact same as it was with you, and then with Randall and Jamie. Only none of them took as long. It was pretty instant. I'd feel a faint presence for a while, then all of a sudden, at random, it would grow stronger and just... Explode into a voice. A brother. A connection._

Then, just like that, it was gone. _What the…_

_What? _Harold asked, his panicked eyes staring into mine, frustrated and confused. I could feel him prodding my mind, searching for a new wolf that he didn't sense yet. _What? I don't sense it! Did they phase, or is something wrong?_

_No. _I replied, _In fact, it's the exact opposite. It just… disappeared, vanished. Evaporated._

My eyes narrowed, and I searched for a trace of what I had been so sure of only minutes before, but now it was gone. _False alarm, I guess. I'm going to walk around as a wolf for a little. I'll come running if I pick anything up. Tell Randall and Jamie to be on the watch. And go on and tell my parents too, while you're at it._

He snickered now, a deep, throaty sound. _Anything else you want, your highness?_

I rolled my black eyes to the heavens. Just shut up and get out of here. I laughed quietly to myself and then got up, prancing around back deeper into the woods. I could hear Harold's mind disappear behind me as I ran out of his line of sight.

* * *

I kept feeling a faint flicker, coming in and out of existence. It was never very strong; it was as if they were teetering on the edge of the curse's effect… and had been their whole life. But it felt strange; there was something else to it that I just didn't get, that just didn't seem right.

It wasn't the same as before… well, it was, but it wasn't. It _felt_ the exact same, but somehow I knew… that this was different. That something was terribly wrong, and something was going to happen that would change La Push, Forks, and possibly even the rest of the world, forever.

It just seemed so menacing. Like it was some kind of puzzle, teasing me, testing me, mocking me. Something I needed to figure out, was supposed to figure out, but couldn't.

So I just kept pacing, walking calmly just beyond the trees and super-focusing on the faint flicker, as if trying to trace it would somehow help me figure it out.

I knew that I should be happy that it was a false alarm, which I was, but something about it bugged me. It was unnatural-feeling, and it frustrated me to no end. After a while, I began to wonder if I really had lost it for good and that my mind was just playing tricks on me. I truly wouldn't be surprised at all.

Yet I couldn't stop the feeling that it meant something, that it wasn't just me. But Harold hadn't felt anything, and he was listening for it. Even though he wasn't the Alpha, shouldn't he be able to hea or feel something? Did that mean anything?

I was frustrated to no end, truly puzzled. With a sigh, I attempted to calm my nerves. After a few minutes, I was once again a human and free from the plaguing mystery of the presence that haunted a sense that had no name. I quickly slipped my clothes on, and walked back to town. If anything developed, I could work on it later. For now, I needed to free my mind.

* * *

That plan backfired as soon as I stepped onto the wood floors in the main room of my house. Both of my parents, fully dressed and human for once, were waiting anxiously on the couch. "Who is it?" They immediately sprang up and pelted me with questions, and it took me a minute to understand.

"It was just a false alarm." I said as calmly as I could, still mildly irritated. I had the uncontrollable urge to check if it was still there. I wondered sarcastically if this was turning into an obsession.

"Really? What do you mean?" Mom asked quickly, hungry for more. I could tell that she was nervous. Beside her, Jared seemed to be much more calm, obviously not understanding all the pain that our curse brought. Given his history, I wasn't surprised.

"Well, It was just there, really weak at first. I was watching it carefully, but it never flared up. It just… vanished. Completely disappeared. Since then, it's been flickering on and off and frustrating me to no end." I sighed and plopped down on the couch. Mom did the same. "So, any news on your side?"

"Well…" She hesitated, and I guessed that this was big.

"What is it, mom?" I demanded.

"Um… you're not going to be too happy about this."

"I don't care! Just tell me, already!" Really, mom could be so infuriating sometimes.

"You remember how we found out Reneesme was pregnant a couple months ago?" I was surprised; this wasn't what I was expecting to hear about. Then again, I hadn't really known what to expect, but this was definitely not it. We almost never talked about the Cullens, except for Jacob, because Mom and Jared felt almost as much disgust towards them as I did. For some reason, however, they thought that Jacob was the best thing, other than each other, that ever happened to them. Well, maybe that's a little bit of an exaggeration, but they still love him for no reason that I can see.

"Um… Yeah, I remember. Where is this going?" I was very wary as I spoke; this only seemed to be going down. I knew that I was most likely going to hear one of two things, but I wasn't really sure which one would be worse.

"Well, she gave birth today. And she wants to see you for some reason. She didn't say why; she didn't even tell Jacob."

I was stunned, but slightly relieved. As much as I despised the Cullens, I definitely did not wish the other possible fate I had been expecting upon anyone. Even a messed-up family of bloodsuckers.

Every other ounce of my being was engrossed in five different emotions at the same time; surprise, anger, anguish, hatred, and curiosity.

_How could it happen so fast? Why did it have to happen at all? Why, out of everyone on the planet, do they want to see me? What kind of sick results will this have on me and my brothers? What could they possibly want to see me for?_

"Today." Mom added firmly after a few minutes, then stood up to leave with Jared. I didn't know why, and I didn't care. I was barely even conscious enough to realize it, I was so absorbed in my own shock and emotions.

The door slammed shut behind her, and it was enough to rouse me from my own self-pity and make me trudge to the door and pull on my boots.

_Might as well get it over with_, I thought begrudgingly, _I can't deny my duties as an Alpha, despite the fact that I don't want them_. I wrinkled up my nose as I opened up the door, anticipating the stench.

And I forced myself to walk through the door and over to my old blue Jeep, knowing that only a few hundred yards away lay the end of my world.


	4. Optimism?

**A/N: This Chapter is weird, I know. I originally wasn't planning to do this, but I think that it fits in with the plot I have in mind quite well. I can't wait until a couple more chapters in, when... Well, I'll keep it a secret, but I can't wait until it happens. I'll bet THAT will get y'all to review. Heh heh...**

**Well, ignore the above rambling, and Enjoy. **

**Disclaimer: Except in my dreams, I do not own Twilight or any of the characters therein. However, Fiona, Jared, Harold, Randall, Jamie, Jessie, and many more to come do belong to me... with the help of my friend Fiona on some points of her namesake character.**

* * *

I stood at the door of the small house, not sure what to do. Why was I even here? I had no loyalty to the bloodsuckers, especially the weirdo crossbreed who took away one of my brothers. If I ran away now, no one would blame me… except for Jacob… and mom.

I sighed; this weird thing that she had with Jacob often put me into uncomfortable situations. I am, however, proud to say that I am responsible for one of the scars on the blonde-haired bloodsucker's face because of it. So I suppose it's not a total loss.

I just stood there, waiting. Waiting for myself as much as for anything else. Just waiting for myself to be ready; waiting for myself to work up the nerve to knock on the door. Work up the nerve to do anything, really.

I was starting to get impatient with myself, so I closed my eyes, and, with a deep breath, knocked on the door.

In seconds, it was open. Thankfully, everyone had moved on but Jake and Reneesme, and they no longer lived in the main house, but in a small one around back, that, to my understanding, was a recent addition, built just for them. This meant that the house did not reek of vampire. Oddly, Reneesme actually smelled kind of good. It was hard to hate her, the way she seemed to human, but I managed. I thought it was easier to just hate them all than risk my own sanity finding other people and places to put the blame.

Standing at the door was, of course, Reneesme. She was actually kind of pretty, with her long, curly brown hair. She had some tint to her pale skin, and she could probably pass off as a human. But still, I was trying to hate her.

"Hello, Fiona. Glad that you could make it." She said sweetly with a smile, but I remained impartial. I couldn't let myself grow fond of her, because she was sure to have something to ask me.

"Afternoon." I said, as coldly as I could.

She sighed, but still smiled. She knew that I always acted like this. I wouldn't be surprised if the entire mythical world knew. "Well, come in. I have something to show you."

I followed behind her wordlessly; amazed at how human the home seemed. It even had a kitchen, which I suppose was to be expected, but it surprised me. It just seemed so…weird to imagine the… _Blacks_ as humans.

She led me up a small spiral staircase and I thought I could hear a baby crying. I was surprised that Reneesme bothered going slowly, but I guessed that she was leading me to wherever it was that we were going and didn't want me getting lost and destroying her house or anything like that.

Finally, we entered a room with a double bed and a crib in it. It was decorated very minimally, and I noticed that there was a little baby in the crib.

Reneesme walked up to it and scooped a little boy out of the crib. He was very young, but he looked older than a day. Old enough that there was a definite male slant to his chin, but it was still round and chubby. Maybe that of a one or two month year-old. But definitely not one that was born today.

I just stared at his brown eyes, which stared back at me innocently. He looked so… human, with his tan skin. Very little vampire remained in him, I knew. But still… I had never expected anything so… adorable. He was even more human than Reneesme. Just a helpless little baby… Just like me, he was born into the wrong family at the wrong place, wrong time. What he was wasn't his fault… And there was nothing that he could ever do about it… I could change, but he would always be a twisted cross-breed.

I felt a warm tear slip down my cheek, and I was shaking slightly, but for the first time ever, it was controllable. I had a reason not to phase. A real reason. I couldn't hurt this little baby.

"Are you okay? Do you need to go outside?" Her voice was layered with maternal worry, and I found it impossible to find the hatred I usually relied on to push her away. But I couldn't; she wanted to protect the same thing I did.

I shook my head, as if I could clear this fog from my head with something that simple. Was I okay? No, but I was in control. There was no way that I could ever hurt the little baby.

"No, but I'm not going to hurt him. I promise." I felt that the words were to myself as much as to her. I needed reassurance; I needed to hear myself say the words.

"What's his name?" I asked desperately, trying to distract myself.

"…Jessie." She said quietly, trying to read my expression, and weighing my words. I could see the fear in her face, and I didn't blame her. I wouldn't want my kid in danger of a werewolf mauling on it's first day in the world, either.

Despite myself, I smiled. Jessie… and Nessie. How fitting. I took a deep breath, and forced the shaking to stop. It felt so good… to just be in control of myself. To be able to act like I was a normal teenage girl for once, even if only for a few seconds; to be able to be angry without this monster clawing at my insides.

"…Can I hold him?" I asked, not wanting to be too pushy. My voice was unsure, but the shaking had to show up somewhere.

She stared at me long and hard, as if she was looking inside of my head, but I knew that she couldn't. She shared her mind with others, not the other way around.

Finally, she sighed. "If you're absolutely sure. And if you do anything to hurt my baby, I will rip you to shreds." Her voice had very little menace behind it, though she was trying. It was soaked through with surrender. I half-wished that she had said no, but I sighed, as well, and reached out to take Jessie.

"Don't worry, I'll beat you to it if that happens." I whispered to myself, and I felt the weight of him in my arms as she reluctantly set him there. It was comforting, in a very strange way.

I pulled him close, and he was curious. He looked up into my blue eyes, and saw something strange there, I could tell. I could feel it myself. He grabbed at my hair, and I laughed, but it was hollow. I wondered if I had imprinted; I loved this baby, but in a very maternal way. It wasn't as dramatic as everyone had made it sound. But regardless of whether or not I had imprinted, I was going to be this little boy's big sister. And I was going to stop pretending I hated Reneesme.

"Have you… please don't tell me if I'm right." Her voice was a horrified whisper, and I could understood. I was more than a bit rattled myself. Even if it was the truth, there was no way that I could be good for the boy. It couldn't be true. For his sake, it wouldn't be.

"…I'm not sure. It's… I feel weird, but it's not as amazingly dramatic as everyone makes it sound. I don't feel… in love. I just feel weird." My voice was the same volume as hers, with a definite maternal undertone.

"You can talk about it with Jake later. For now, I have something to ask of you." Her voice was begging and slightly skeptical, but I wasn't used to having to read people's faces. The corners of my lips lifted ever-so-slightly at that one. Vampires, people. It really was a possibility.

Still, everyone I ever talked to, I could either hear their every thought or they were Mom and Jared, and they didn't exactly have complex emotional systems. They had very… wolf-like minds. Survival instincts and… well, that pretty much covers their priorities. Sure, my mom could be very human-like if she wanted to, with problems and complex emotions, but there was really no need to with Jared.

"What is it?" I asked, trying to hide my desperation. I wanted so badly for her to ask for me to stay away from her baby. Was that really so far-fetched? It would be better for both of us if the poor boy stayed away from a very messed-up wolf who could hurt her at any minute, with no warning, for the stupidest of things. Until I learned to control my temper, I could not be allowed to be near the boy.

"Well, Jessie… he… here, let me show you." She pulled the boy away from me, and his face turned red. He started crying, and soon, a little puppy was cradled in her arms. My face went blank as it all came together. The presence from earlier… was Jessie. I could feel tears slipping down my cheeks, but I was not sure why. I wasn't entirely sad, just surprised. I did feel pity for him, but relief that out curse was not taking a human brother, but someone who's life was already in the land of myth and legend. That we were not corrupting another perfectly good human life.

And then I realized it.

The cute little boy, who felt like my little baby brother, was cursed with the same fate I was. The circumstances might be slightly different, but he still had the same curse. He was worse than I was, a twisted cross-breed with twisted blood, the kind of thing that you expected to see as the result of a nuclear explosion. Unaffected at first, but twisted in so many little ways.

"Oh my God…" I finally managed to say, unsure what else I could.

"Well, I was wondering if… if you can hear his voice." She seemed distressed, so I guessed that Jacob couldn't.

"…I'm guessing he's phased this morning, which I've been a wolf for most of, so no. I can't." I finally said, trying to just get it over with so that I could stop interfering in this poor little boy's life. He seemed so frail…

"I was afraid of that. Jacob can't either. What do you suppose it means?"

"Well… I've been feeling a presence on and off all morning, which I imagine is his. I think that… because he's one-of-a-kind, he can't belong to our packs. Because of his vampire blood. It makes him… kind of counterintuitive, on a different wavelength or something. He just… doesn't fit in. I'd have Carlisle or Jacob look into it if you want more information. They could probably give you more scientific explanations than I could; I'm just riding on instincts and intuition." I turned around to leave, but she stopped me with one hand.

"Please, talk to my husband on your way out. I really need to know if you've imprinted on my baby or not… Gosh, I feel like Mom must've felt… But less angry, thankfully." She stopped suddenly and shook her head, then let out a heavy sigh. "I digress. And… I hope that you'll be back. I can't force you to come, but I need someone to help her with her self-control, and… well, quite frankly, I don't think my husband's up for it."

I was about to ask a question, but she stopped me. "You'll see. Please, consider it. At least until he gets over it, but after that… well, I think it'd be good for him if he had two teachers. It's always good to have a second point of view." She took a very long pause, and right when I began to think she was done, she added something else. "Plus, I'm hoping to try and bring the two packs back together. If not literally, then at least emotionally. In an obscure kind of way, I feel like this is all my fault." She sighed, then smiled her dazzling smile again. This time, I smiled back.

No use wasting energy on hating people. Especially nice people like Reneesme… Regardless of whether or not they're fully "people."

I sighed, and turned around to face the person I really did hate; the one that had kept the bloo… _Cullens_ here for so much longer and changed me forever.

This was sure to be fun.


	5. Jacob

**A/N: Okay, I feel kinda stupid. Why? Because I figured out that in the first chapter, "Jared"s name was actually Garret. And I never realized it. XD I went back and changed it, but I still feel really stupid. Oh well, live and learn, I guess.**

**Um... Thanks to Hollibell, and of course good old Bubbles, because they actually read and commented on this story! OMG! You know, stories can be about not-Edward and Bella and still be good! Which is why I'm taking a break from Black Comet (Thanks to all the people who read it, though! I still love ya!)**

**Okay, I'm just rambling now. So bye; have fun reading.**

* * *

He just sat there, stock-still. I hadn't noticed him on my way in, and now I was wondering how that was possible. Apparently, he was still growing, and could just about be classified as a giant now. He was much too big for the small living room, and I think that if he stood up, he would just about hit his head on the low ceilings. I know for sure that I was coming close. Not as close as him, for sure, but only about a half a foot away.

He had his back to me, and for all I knew, he didn't even know that I was in his house. It was quite possible, I suppose.

I hesitated on the last step, unsure. Did I want to do this? How on earth was I going to? For all I knew, I had imprinted on his only child. And I had no idea how he was going to take it, but Reneesme's words were definitely not helping. "And I don't think my husband's up to it." What? Had the stress turned him into some sort of a psycho or something?

I finally took a deep breath, and stepped down onto the hardwood floor. My feet slowly trudged over to the center of the living room, furnished with only a single couch and a television. I stepped in-between Jake and the television, which was off. I turned to face him, mentally prepared to face some psychopathic werewolf, but I was shocked at what I saw.

When I looked at him, I saw the most terrified face that I ever have. His wide, begging eyes looked up at me desperately. "Please tell me you can hear him! Or at least feel him. Please, tell me some good news about my Jessie. _Please_!"

I was taken aback, not quite sure what to say. "Um… I'm sorry. Jessie's a unique creature, and… well, he physically can't be in the pack…" His head fell, followed by sobs. I felt pitifully, ridiculously sorry for him. I scrambled through my head to find some kind of good news to tell him. Not the imprinting, I told myself, he won't take too kindly to that. Then, suddenly, a light bulb went on.

"Or! Or, or, or… or he could just be too young to choose which pack he wants. He doesn't really know what's going on, so maybe he just needs to choose which pack he's in." I smiled at myself for the speedy save, glad that he had a glint of hope in his eyes when he looked up.

"You really think so?" He asked hopefully, his gaze still a bit desperate. I didn't know what to say; I didn't want to get his hopes up, but then again, I didn't want the little glimmer of hope to fade.

"Um… well, it's definitely a possibility. I think it makes just as much sense as anything else." I smiled meekly, wanting to laugh at the fact that I was comforting the one person I hated the most. Still, when someone was in this bad of shape, regardless of who they are, anyone with an ounce of humanity couldn't just let them stay the way they were.

He sighed and nodded his head, probably sensing my discomfort. "I know you don't want to be here, much less comfort me, and I'm sorry. It's just making me go mad… my baby is probably frightened and scared half to death, just like I was, and there's nothing I can do at all. I can't talk to him because he's just a day old, and I can't help him through this like Sam did, either. I feel so useless." He sighed again, looking utterly defeated.

I closed my eyes and walked over to sit down next to him, and then put my arm around him comfortingly. "It's okay… You know, he probably isn't all that scared, really." Jacob looked up at me, confused. He obviously thought I either was lying or didn't care. "I mean, the only reason you were so frightened is that you didn't expect it in a million years. It wasn't 'normal.' Little Jessie doesn't know a thing about the world, like all babies. It's all just new to him. The thing is, he didn't expect any of it. It's all like the werewolf thing to him. He just… exploded out of his dark little 'normal' world. He'll grow up with it, and it'll all be 'normal' to him. I think it may actually be for the best."

He looked at me quizzically for a minute, then engulfed me in a giant bear hug. If I weren't a werewolf, he probably would've crushed a rib or two. But I was, and he didn't, so I let him get it out of his system, and then, finally, he released me. "You had something to say to me?" The words were only partly a question; he knew I had to have a reason to be talking to him.

"Um, yeah." I hesitated, leaning back into the couch. I guess I might as well bring it up while he was happy with me. "I had a question. When you imprinted… on Reneesme… what did it feel like?"

Jake raised a curious eyebrow, but answered my question anyways. "Well… it just… as soon as I looked at her, I just felt… like my whole world had changed. Like the whole universe had shifted underneath me. I kind of felt… like I was seeing light for the first time. Or something like that. It was the most dramatic, life-changing thing to ever happen to me. I just suddenly knew that I would do anything for her… even go away, if it's what she wanted." He sighed, obviously having a lovey-dovey moment like Mom and Jared did all the time.

Unlike what I would have done with my parents, I let him be. I just sighed and stared off into space. Would it really be that weird for me to have a different reaction than everyone else? I was the only person in all of history to ever have two active werewolf parents, who had imprinted on each other. And the second female werewolf to ever exist. I had always been the oddball; this could be just another place where I managed to be different without trying.

And Jessie seemed to have taken a liking to me; could he be experiencing a duller version of imprinting? A more childish one, slightly diluted by the vampire blood? It all seemed to make sense, and what could it hurt if I was wrong? I mean, he calmed me down; it could only be good… right?

Then I looked at Jake, who was staring at me intensely, over his little moment. Riiiight, that was the problem. That Jake wouldn't approve.

"So… I think you can probably guess." I smiled meekly as I said the words, hoping that he wouldn't make me say the words. I wasn't sure if I could, to be honest.

He leaned back on the couch, almost tipping it over in the effort. "Please, no. I have enough to worry about, don't I?"

"You should know better than anyone that you can't control these things. Besides, I'm not really sure if that's what it is. I just… I'm not sure, I just feel right for once. I've been trying to force myself to hate you for years, but I'm not really sure if that's what I want anymore… I don't know… I just never thought of you as _people_. Just creatures to take my anger out on. But… I feel so much… better? Is that the word? I don't know; I just feel like I'm not just pretending anymore. It… I don't know, I probably sound like a maniac." I laughed once, humorlessly. It was a hollow sound, but it made me realize how long it had been since I laughed. Even forcefully, like this. Again, I felt so much better there… at ease.

He sighed again, and I half-sighed. "Will apologizing help? 'Cause I am sorry about this mess. I didn't plan on it either."

He looked up at me again, staring in my eyes intently. Not like he was in love, but like he was trying to figure something out.

"What? You think I'm not sorry?" I was confused; what did it matter, anyways?

"No, I'm trying to figure out what's wrong with you." He kept starting at me, but I looked away. I stared at the wall, trying to straighten out my thoughts.

"Yeah. I'm kind of wondering that myself."

I was dreading this moment; Mom was the master interrogator. I was definitely not going to be able to get off scoff-free. I considered running off to Harold's house, but decided against it. I'd have to face her eventually.

I opened up the door, and was met by a barrage of questions. "What happened? What did she want to know? How're you feeling? Did you destroy any of their furniture?" I could barely keep up with her.

"Woah, woah! Mom, slow down. Listen, she just wanted to talk to me!" I sighed and tried to walk away, but I was stopped by her firm grip. Inevitably.

"About what?"

"Jessie."

Mom looked at me with one eyebrow raised. "So we're calling them by their names, now? What's up?"

I looked around the room, waiting for the snickering to start, but I didn't see Jared. That was odd; where was he?

"Nothing. There's nothing wrong with the Blacks. They're nice."

Mom looked at me, surprised. Then she smiled and pulled me into my second bear hug of the day. "Fiona Gertrude Cole! Did you imprint on Jessie?"

"Mmm, M'm mot mur." I muttered, my words muffled by her shoulder.

"Sorry." She giggled, and let me go. "So? I want news!"

I sighed; Mom was still a schoolgirl at heart, even after a century.

"Listen, I'm just not sure what it is. It doesn't feel exactly like everyone keeps describing it, so I don't know… I just don't know."

I sighed, and she instantly pulled me back into a hug. "Oh! My little baby's growing up! Oh, I can't believe this! The wedding will come up before I know it… oh, how are we ever going to pay for it? I guess I could borrow some money from the council… or get a job again. Mmm, Jared's not going to be too happy about that. Oh well, he can live with it…"

I shoved away from her and shouted to get her attention; "Mom! Wooooah, slow down, would you? I don't even know if that's what it is yet. It could just be…" I paused, trying to think of another explanation. I came up short, and mom caught my bluff.

"Could be what? Oh come on, honey! Don't deny it! You know it's true!"

I sighed, resigned. It looked like she was right. Mmm, this wasn't going to end well, I could just tell. So many opinions, including my own, to get in the way.

And then there was still the matter of Jared's teasing. He wouldn't let this pass without first making my life miserable.

Oh well, I would find a way to live through this… hopefully. Meh, it's not like my existence wasn't complicated enough already. A little more inconvenience and teasing wouldn't kill me. I mean, what was the worst that could happen? We get separated?

It's not like the world could end or we could die through this, right?…

I shook my head out; I was letting my nerves get the best of me. Seriously, in reality, what was the worst that could rationally happen? …Then again, how much of my world _was_ rational anymore?


End file.
